<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Hills by hanpathy</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22593487">The Hills</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanpathy/pseuds/hanpathy'>hanpathy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>It Gets Better, M/M, based off of theories for the skz storyline/lore, chapters are very short, each chapter is a different mv, focuses on the storyline, i'll probably turn it into one full thing once it's over</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:03:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22593487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanpathy/pseuds/hanpathy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The ride there was too quiet for Jisungs liking. He wanted to talk to his friends, talk about the types of activities they would do there, but he couldn’t. He didn’t even know where they were going. He wondered if this was about their questionable behavior towards the end of the school year. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Were they going to some detention center? Were they going to be punished? None of it was going through his head long enough to process. He laid his head against the window, and occasionally banged up against it because of bumps in the road.</p><p>Drifting asleep, he saw a sign that could’ve given them an idea on where they were finally headed.</p><p>District 9?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin &amp; Yang Jeongin | I.N, Kim Seungmin/Lee Felix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Blessings wait for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Christopher bang had his whole life ahead of him, and for the most part it was all planned out. Ever since he was born it had been. He would graduate high school in the spring and decided to go to college on a scholarship for swimming. He was good at swimming, at all sports really, and used it to his advantage since he wasn't too good in school. All he had to do now was wait for the time to pass until he was free. This wasn’t hard, though. He had eight friends to make his time in high school worth living through. Recently life for him had been just a little extra interesting, as summer approached the boys began to crave more. More fun..more freedom. That's all they really wanted. Their last summer before Chan left for college had to be the best one yet.  Everyday was a new adventure, and this special day wasn’t any different...except for the fact that he was sitting inside the principal's office with all of them. </p><p>“Do you even all know how annoying this is for the janitors, for the teachers? For me? Throwing papers around because you’re getting off on break soon isn’t acceptable, you all will be cleaning them up yourselves,” The principal spoke with wide eyes, pointing to all of them one by one.</p><p>“Kim Woojin, I expected better from you," He continued. "And you as well Jeongin. You should be lucky I won’t be putting such things on your record.”</p><p>There was a slight pause of unconformable silence until Chan spoke up.</p><p>“I’m sure I can speak for all of us when we say that we understand and we’re sorry, Mr.Park. It won’t happen again,” Chan said, standing up to face his elder.</p><p>Mr.Park was kind of surprised by this action, but waved it off quickly.</p><p>“It definitely won’t… you’re dismissed boys.”</p><p>A sigh of relief rushed out of Felix, one of the younger out of the bunch. He was just as guilty as the rest of them, but wanted to be out of the crowded room as soon as possible. Getting into trouble wasn’t like him, but one thing lead to another and all of a sudden it was snowing paper in their high school hallway.</p><p>As soon as they shut the door on their way out, Jisung was the first one to actually say something.</p><p>“I think he’s just mad he got a paper cut,” he blurted. This earned an elbow into the ribs from Changbin. "Hey! If no one else is gonna lighten the mood, it's left up to me."</p><p>“This is a mess…” Minho exclaimed, changing the conversation as he examined the hallway. "I can't believe we did this..."</p><p>“Yeah, and we have to clean it all up too.” Chan replied, getting to work right away. “Come on, I don’t want to be here all day.”</p><p>After about twenty minutes of cleaning, the boys were almost finished. There was plastic bags filled with old homework and filled notebook pages.</p><p>"I have to admit, I'm really not gonna miss this school," Chan started to say. "But you all, that's a different story."</p><p>It went quiet. No one knew what to say. They had tried to forget about the fact that Chan was leaving, that he was moving away from them.</p><p>"It definitely won't be the same without you," Seungmin choked out.</p><p>"Right, like Taco Tuesday. Now we're gonna have to rely on Changbin and Minho's cooking..." Woojin laughed. </p><p>"You'll all visit me though, right? Like you promised?" </p><p>"Of course. At least once a month," Felix replied, closing in on the other.</p><p>The rest of the boys joined in, and soon they were all connected in a hug. </p><p>"I'll miss you, Chan. We all will."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. you must be annoyed by everything, like awkward silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the second time that week they ended their school day sitting inside the principal's office.</p><p>“This is getting old real fast,” Jisung said, picking at his nails. </p><p>“We know,” the rest of the boys said in unison.</p><p>To get the full story, you’d have to ask everyone their side on what happened. Some of them, like Felix and Jeongin, were merely bystanders through it all, just hanging out with their friends inside a classroom, that they might’ve broken into, but that wasn’t the point. When the principal asked them why they did it, no one could really give a straightforward answer. </p><p>“We were bored,” Changbin replied. He put it as simply as he could, and quite frankly, that was all there was to it. Yes, Chan did ask them if it was empty, and yes Minho found a way to unlock the door, but they argued it wasn’t “breaking in” because it didn’t take a lot of effort. </p><p>“If you really don’t want someone in there, maybe you guys should lock it better, you know? Or keep a sign on the door that says ‘do not enter’,” Seungmin protested. Mr.park glared at him with cruel eyes. “No? Okay, definitely unnecessary then.”</p><p>Mr.Park buried his face into his hands. “I really don’t want to see you all in here for the rest of the year, seriously.”</p><p>The boys really didn’t know how to respond to this. Would it be their last time? Hopefully yes, realistically no. </p><p>“You’ve all never been a problem for me before, except for when you started that food fight Jeongin’s freshman year. Why so suddenly are you all causing problems?”</p><p>Again, no response. Jisung peered down to Chan, as a way to ask for permission to speak. Chan nodded hesitantly in return.</p><p>“You see, Mr.Park, I’m sure you’re quite aware that Chan is leaving for college after this summer,” Jisung started. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re just trying to make some memories before he leaves.”</p><p>Mr.Park sighed. “I am aware, but what does this have to do with raiding an old classroom? Can you make some memories outside of my school?”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t think you-”<br/>
“Yes of course we can Mr.Park,” Chan cut off Jisung. “You can dismiss us and we won’t be in your way any longer.”</p><p>“I sure hope so, you’re dismissed boys. Don’t get into any more trouble or it’s gonna be a bigger consequence next time.”</p><p>-</p><p>The silence among the boys was deafening.</p><p>“Longest ten minutes of my LIFE…” Jisung admitted. </p><p>“Yeah, and you almost messed it up for us in there,” Woojin scolded. “We have to tone it down now. No more messing around like that, especially at school.”</p><p>“I just can’t wait for summer to come,” Seungmin groaned, acting as if his backup just couldn’t be held up by his shoulders any longer. </p><p>“Soon,” Chan promised. “Soon, we’ll be out of here. Before you all even know it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. even adults make mistakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hyunjin sat on top of the garage rooftop, overlooking his friends playing basketball at a family friends recreational area. This was their last day in town, as they were about to leave for summer camp later that day. School was finally over, and Chan had graduated exactly one week ago. They had 11 weeks left. 77 days. Hyunjin tried not to think about it too much, but caught himself fiddling with his own figures too often, letting his thoughts swallow him whole. </p><p>Thinking wasn’t good for Hyunjin. It always led him to a dark place he didn’t want to visit. But, still, he spent a lot of time by himself observing his friends, their actions, their emotions. It all helped him in the long run. </p><p>He was snapped out of his trance when he heard footsteps come up from behind him.<br/>
“Hey, did you see me totally wreck Changbin just now?” Jisung asked, letting out a short laugh before sitting beside him. </p><p>“Yeah..yeah that was wild,” Hyunjin replied, acting like he totally did, but he definitely didn’t. He wished he did though. Watching changbin lose was a blessing, and seeing changbins face afterwards was even better.</p><p>Jisung took a minute to take in the air before saying something else to Hyunjin, looking around in the sky, at the clouds and the funny shapes they could make with imagination.</p><p>“Hey, what’s up? What are you thinking about?” Jisung asked his friend. “You know if you need to talk to anyone, I’m here, we all are.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about how this is our last summer with Chan, you know. Not to bring it up or anything. I just can’t stop thinking about it.”</p><p>“I understand,” Jisung started. “I did kind of forget about it for a minute though. Right now it feels like any other summer.”</p><p>“Well you’re lucky..”</p><p>Jisung patted Hyunjin on the back. “Don’t think about it too much, it’s gonna hurt you. Let’s just enjoy the time we have with him, okay?”</p><p>“I’ll try.”</p><p>“Cool, now let's go, we have to leave soon,” The younger said, jutting out his hand to help Hyunjin up.</p><p>-</p><p>They were all gathered in a waiting room, suitcases in hand, waiting for their bus to arrive. The clock ticked and left an echo into the room full of nine, surprisingly silent teenage boys. Chan looked at his phone, and then around the room. </p><p>“The bus should’ve been here almost twenty minutes ago,” He spoke, breaking the silence between everyone. </p><p>“That’s weird… should I go see what’s going on?” Woojin asked, lifting himself off of his seat in the way of the receptionist. </p><p>“No, I’ll do it,” Chan insisted, and got up quickly. </p><p>The receptionist in front of him had glasses hanging on the tip of her nose, looking as if they were about to fall off at any given second. He noticed her hard gaze as she typed away at her computer screen, very focused on whatever she was doing. </p><p>“Ms?” He asked, trying to get her attention.</p><p>She didn’t look up, didn’t even acknowledge his presence in front of her, so he again.</p><p>“Ms? I’m curious about what's going on with the bus schedule.”<br/>
She looked up from her computer, seemingly annoyed that her work had been interrupted.</p><p>She sighed before saying anything. “What bus are you guys supposed to take?”</p><p>“Um,” he said before peering into his hand with his ticket. “236.”</p><p>The woman typed the number into her computer quickly.</p><p>“Looks like bus 236 has already come by. What’s your name?”</p><p>“Bang Chan,” he replied, hoping to get this sorted out soon. This is the last thing we needed, he thought to himself.</p><p> “I see, you’re all taking a different bus because you’re going to a new location this year, as a recommendation by your school. You and eight other boys.” </p><p>Chan had trouble grasping what she had said. New location? School? He didn’t even go there anymore. </p><p>“Oh, thank you miss. Those eight others must be my friends.” He replied, signs of confusion rising in his voice. </p><p>She handed him their new tickets and went back to his seat, handing each of his friends their new ticket quietly.</p><p>“What’s this?” Jeongin asked, curious. “Did we miss our bus?”</p><p>‘No, actually,” Chan replied, sitting down, muscles suddenly aching. “We’re going somewhere new. Mr.Park must've recommended us to go there this summer.”</p><p>“Probably some summer school program,” Minho said, rubbing his temples at the thought.</p><p>“I don’t know… I graduated guys, remember? I’m not sure where we’re going.”</p><p>“Bus 230 has arrived, I repeat, bus 230 has arrived,” The woman's voice spoke through the intercom.</p><p>Chan looked down at his ticket, and us again towards his friends. “That’s us.”</p><p>-</p><p>The ride there was too quiet for Jisungs liking. He wanted to talk to his friends, talk about the types of activists they would do there, but he couldn’t. He didn’t even know where they were going. He wondered if this was about their questionable behavior towards the end of the school year. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Were they going to some detention center? Were they going to be punished? None of it was going through his head long enough to process. He laid his head against the window, and occasionally banged up against it because of bumps in the road. </p><p>Drifting asleep, he saw a sign that could’ve given them an idea on where they were finally headed. </p><p>District 9?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. why does it feel like we're all the same</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Christopher led his friends through a path that everyone else was walking through. He made sure everyone kept together, safe, not to be split apart. To be lost in a place like this, where everyone dressed the same, covered in white from their heads all the way down to their feet, would he ever see his friends again? </p><p>They walked, for what seemed like forever, with a big group of teenagers their age, no older than Chan and Woojin, no younger than Jeongin. </p><p>Chan wondered how he had got here. He thought about how the last few days had been total hell, ever since they left on the bus. He regretted some decisions. Like taking all his friends to who knows where. Now they were all miserable, all controlled. It didn’t seem real.</p><p>He hoped it was some kind of dream, a nightmare if anything. He felt so, so guilty. He blamed himself for getting here, but now, surrounded by his friends, he realized he couldn’t feel sorry for himself forever. He had to find a way out. </p><p>-</p><p>“Hyunjin,” Seungmin spoke, peering into the other room. “They want you in room 277, now.”</p><p>Hyunjin internally sighed, lifting himself off of his chair, and out of the small, plain cramped room and into the hallway. He was so tired of that room. </p><p>“Welcome, Hyunjin,” the monitor spoke as soon as he walked into the room. It wasn’t a real person, or voice. It never was anymore. </p><p>He sat down without saying a word, and waited quietly for the mask to come over his head, to be set on to his face. </p><p>If you asked him what the mask would show him, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. He could never remember. </p><p>His first time in the room was the day after they had got there. Drones and cameras would observe them, looking around and watching how they act, how they talk. But they chose Hyunjin. No one else had to go into the room. No one else had to watch the mask. He was the only one, all alone. </p><p>Chan had asked him what he saw, but Hyunjin just shook his head in response. <br/>“I don’t know… It’s all a blur to me now,” he would say, and that’s what he said to everyone who asked, and all of his friends would ask for that matter. Evidently something was special about Hyunjin. </p><p>-</p><p>The day they arrived, the boys jumped off of the bus, not even acknowledging the strange environment of where they were. All they knew is that they were on that bus for way too long, and wanted nothing more than to get off of it. </p><p>Almost suddenly, like the blink of an eye, they were being pushed through the gates. Panic and fear rose between them, as their carefree moods were washed away. Chan pushed himself to the front, bracing himself to see what laid ahead of them, ready to protect his friends over anything.</p><p>After arriving inside the facility, they were led into a darker room, forced to strip, were sprayed down, and were given new clothes to change into. A white hoodie, white sweatpants, and white shoes. Everyone looked the same.</p><p>For the first night, they all stayed in the same room, slept on mats on the floor, cold and hard. No one had said much. They didn’t have the chance to, really. It wasn’t until everyone tried to fall asleep that Jeongin started to silently cry. </p><p>	He cursed himself for it, for seeming so weak in front of his older friends, but honestly they didn’t even think for a second before comforting him, pulling him into their arms. They all fell asleep like that, next to each other for warmth and a sense of security. Now they really only had each other. </p><p>	The next morning, they were woken up with a siren, coming from outside of the building, but it was loud enough to slip through the walls and into their room. </p><p>	The nine boys were startled, jolting up off the floor. Rubbing their eyes, adjusting to the light when an official looking man opened the door. <br/>“Minho,” He spoke. His voice was loud and controlling. It was almost trance like, pulling everyone in. </p><p>	“Yes?” Minho asked, his voice soft with wonder of what the man wanted with him. </p><p>“Come with me,” the official replied and led Minho out of the room. </p><p>	Felix started to shake, noticing that his hands wouldn't keep still almost immediately. It was the first time someone had been separated from the group, and he didn’t want it to stay that way. </p><p>	Minho was more calm, on the other hand. It took a bit more to scare him, instead he focused on little details like the hallway they walked through, the doors and the numbers on them. The official badge caught his eye last. Mr. Wang, he read. He left a note of it in his mind for later.</p><p>	It was a bit of a long walk for them to go where they were heading. Minho kept track of the turns, because otherwise it was like a maze, and he wouldn't want to get stuck in a place like this. </p><p>	The room they finally stepped foot into was small. Very small, almost uncomfortable. He didn’t notice a man sitting at the desk in front of him until he looked away from the walls, observing everything around him. </p><p>“Sit down, Minho,” The new man spoke. He looked a bit older, a little more rough than Mr.Wang. His name was Mr.Son. Though, he still obeyed his words. </p><p>He was handed a paper, with times and room numbers. </p><p>“That’s your schedule. Where you’ll be at what time. If you’re not where you’re supposed to be…” </p><p>“What? If I’m not, what happens?” </p><p>“Doesn’t matter. Sometimes questions don’t need to be answered, you can leave now, go back with your friends. Too bad you won’t be able to hold them as tight anymore.”</p><p>Minho got up to leave, but snapped his head around at the end of his words. </p><p>“What does that mean? How do you know we-”</p><p>“You’re gonna have to get used to it, we see everything. Before you all even got here. Just thought you should know.”</p><p>That’s what finally scared Minho. Not the bus, or the gates, or the walls of the room he felt like he was trapped in. It was the fact they knew about them, and had been watching them, what else could they possibly know?</p><p>Minho left the room, holding his own hand in front of him, because he didn’t have a friend at one of the times he needed it most. </p><p>When he got back to the room, no one was left in there, and he sighed in some sort of defeat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry if this chapter is a little confusing! It all over the place but district 9 is one of the most important mvs so I wanted it to include a lot, though it will be at least one more chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>